"Brunswick is the place to be! From a market & locals perspective"

Highly sought after, Very strong demand for traditional housing, Period homes like Victorian Double fronts, Terraces and Edwardians continue to pull and attract the big bucks.

With low levels of available traditional housing sellers are enjoying unprecedented growth. Buyers to will benefit from this growth, Under 6km to the CBD, Bursting with culture, an amazing array of restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs, most locals tend to spend lots time socializing in and around Brunswick these days instead of making the trip over the Yarra.

My Local Perspective:

I love the mix of people, the little old-school delis, the quality cafes that are popping up in the oddest of places but are smashing out quality food, the barber shops, local top class designer clothing stores and for the ladies some of the best wedding dress stores in the State.

It’s so hard for me to pick one thing I love about Brunswick, Its everything combined, the familiarity of faces, the old and the new, the gorgeous traditional homes, the fashion, the pubs, the young creatives, the buskers, the shopping, the bakeries, the nightlife, all of these combine to create an experience that is uniquely Brunswick, for Brunswick is the place to be.

"10 Things to Know Before Moving to Brunswick"

1) Brunswick has lots of great shops. Whether it’s the varied shopping on Sydney Road, the staples in Barkley Square, or the plethora of great places to eat on Lygon Street, you will never go hungry! For eating, I suggest Rumi, Town Hall Kebab, Tandoor n Spices, Moo Moo’s Milk Bar among others!
2) NBN is available! Check here for coverage: http://www.nbnco.com.au/develop-or-plan-with-the-nbn/check-rollout-map.html Brunswick’s postal code is 3054 for the NBN and you can see coverage stops south of Albion St.
3) Rental properties in the area are affordable and varied. Everything from apartments, houses and duplexes can be found. As more infill occurs, even more quality property will pop up.
4) People are super friendly. I was surprised when I first moved here how many people will greet you on the street.
5) Lots of car share availability. I use GoGet, but Flexicar and others all have vehicles available in the area.
6) Good transit to the CBD and north/south. The 55 tram will take you straight to downtown via Melville Road and Grantham street, but of course Lygon and Sydney Road all have tram service. Buses also service the area, and the Upfield line is the main train artery.
7) Not great transit west/east. Like many places in Melbourne, going west/east can be a real pain.
8) Lots of young families. Although the demographics are mixed, there are heaps of kids and families about.
9) It’s safe. Apparently back in the day Brunswick was known as a bit rough but that is ancient history. I’ve never once felt threatened walking at night and have never worried about property theft. I couldn’t find stats for Brunswick specifically, but here’s a link to crime stats for Moreland (of which Brunswick is only one suburb) http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?a=internetBridgingPage&Media_ID=72186
10) It’s close to Royal Park, Melbourne’s largest green space!

"Love it, but there might be better northern suburb options."

I've lived here for about 5 months now and I love Brunswick. But there might be better options. I always end up leaving Brunswick when I'm going out for a night on the town and sometimes even leave when I'm going out for dinner. Brunswick east, Fitzroy, Carlton, Northcote all have very good offerings when it comes to eating out and drinking. That said, Brunswick is very central to all these places, so I can't really complain. Although I can complain about the people racing their cars and motorcycles up and down Lygon st.

"Every day is different in Brunswick - you'll never be bored"

Lots of real people enjoying life - minimal pretence here. It is the melting pot of Melbourne - lots of cultures living in harmony together. Relatively easy to get around by train, tram, bike or foot (forget about the car as parking can be difficult) the area or into the CBD. An abundance of cafes, restaurants and bars. Plenty of strip shopping too. Numerous parks and recreation areas.

"Families and urban comfort mixed with student led funk in a stones throw of town"

Brunswick has shifted seismically since we arrived 3 years ago. we live at the lygon street end of brunswick and love wandering out for brunch at monsieur truff, small block Brunswick project or pope Joan. the number of new restaurants springing up has added to an already vibrant strip and the activity and give has gone up a few notches. we have a young family and we find it hard to match the lifestyle this close to town win house and land that is larger than your typical terrace. a number of new apartment developments has accelerated the influx of young professionals and students increasing the viability of small business .

Robert ElezovicPerfect review of Brunswick! I love the Lygon St end of Brunswick - was just enjoying lunch at the Moroccan Deli-cacy today & often go into East Elevation (we all call it 'Red Door' here at our office for breakfast & to enjoy a Monsieur Truffle hot chocolate). As you said, the influx of developments in the area have attracted many families, couples, students and young working professionals alike, however, we are even seeing established homebuyers moving into these new developments. All of these different groups of people are breathing new life throughout the suburb & I feel now more than ever are we seeing more & more cafes/shops/bars & restaurants popping up. What an exciting time to be living in Brunswick. -Robert Elezovic, Director & Principal Auctioneer @ Raine & Horne, Brunswick 0431 431 671 www.facebook.com/rh.brunswick

Mar 14, 2018

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The opinions expressed within this review are those of the individual reviewer and not those of Homely.com.au.Report

"Gone downhill"

We lived in Brunswick for over 15 years before it was "gentrified". It was a great place, but now its even more busy, noisy and all the new units and developments its just getting busier and noisier. The only thing I miss are the convenience to the city apart from that, not much else.

"Groovy, Accepting, convenient and a place to be yourself"

For all those who want leafy green pockets filled with white people, tennis lessons for home based wives and massive blocks of land, this is not the place for you. In fact is is likely to feel like you have been deposited on a different planet.
For those who enjoy the eclectic, interesting and diverse, in a stones throw from the city with the potential to make a massive amount of money on property investment, you are welcome in Brunswick!
We love it that we can get on our bikes and buy absolutely anything, eat from any culture and live in a thriving metropolis where every part of the world meet. The old Victorian charm means there's always a bargain, and if you do it well, a whole lot of money to be made out of renovation and investment.
The average detached house block of 400m2 may seem small for those with children, but not really considering the sheer amount to do in the immediate surroundings. 3 years and counting and we're still finding things to do.

"A great location for the young professional"

With shops and great eateries close by this is a wonderful little spot to live for young professionals and couples. There are some unattractive parts off the main roads, and the main roads carry a lot of traffic. But the trade off is you are in a very hip and up and coming area.

There are more than enough places to go out and enjoy some great food, and a lot of great speciality shops.

But it is not geared towards families. This is an inner city location for people that want to be close to the city and don't need a lot of room to move.